Paradise
by coldplaywhore
Summary: A flighty mother and an unsettled life lead Bella to find something she didn't know she was looking for... first love. FGB One shot for ChiTwiGal.


**It's time for another FGB Eclipse Edition one shot. This one was commissioned by the lovely ChiTwiGal who asked me to write something non-canon that had something to do with the song 'Paradise by the Dashboard Lights.' Those of you who have followed me for a long time know I've never really written non-canon, and those of you who know me well, know I LOATHE meatloaf. This is the fuckery that came from that! LOL. It's a little bit different for me, but that was what ChiTwiGal wanted, so that's what she got! I hope you guys like it.**

**Huge thanks to MaggieMay14 for beta'ing this monster and to Risbee for encouraging me when I really just wanted to shove my head through my monitor out of frustration.**

**I don't own the characters. It's Stephenie Meyer who sleeps on a big bed of money, not me. I just like to mess with the madness.**

**BPOV**

It was a good run for the two years I was there, but Nashville didn't hold any sort of appeal to me anymore. When we had first arrived, my mother touted Nashville as though it was the holy grail of music. She was certain she would get 'discovered' by some country music executive and we'd be on the fast track to success. I may have only been thirteen when we arrived, but I was old enough to realize that Renee was simply chasing a pipe dream.

It was the same in every single city we'd lived in. In addition to Nashville, there had been a three year stint in Florida where my mother sang in several different shows at Disney World. Right before that was Branson, Missouri, which thankfully had only been a yearlong job and we had lived in Louisville, Las Vegas and Memphis for a while too. This was all after my mother left my dad Charlie in their hometown of Forks, desperate to escape the small town and determined to make it as a singer.

Renee, though only 34 since she had me when she was 18, was too old for American Idol and deemed herself too accomplished for America's Got Talent. In Nashville she had even tried out for Nashville Star, the country version of American Idol, but never made it past the first round of judging. There was some sort of scandal and she pouted like a petulant child about it for weeks, but I never pried too much. I heard her yelling into the phone one night to her best friend Tanya about 'asshole producers' and 'small cocks' and I decided then and there it would probably be for the best to sleep with a pillow over my head. There were just some things I didn't need to know about at 14, and my mother's sex life was one of them.

Now, as much as I didn't like Nashville anymore, I had to admit, I was pissed when Renee told me where we were headed next. I was hoping she would decide to finally go to New York City and try out for something on Broadway, but no… we ended up in Gatlinburg, Tennessee because my mother took a job just north of there, in Pigeon Forge; home of Dollywood.

For the next six months, my mother was going to dress up in poodle skirts and a ponytail while she sang her little heart out to the pop hits of the 50's and 60's. Renee was the queen of bad decisions.

"Bella, would it hurt you to smile a little bit?" Renee prodded me as we drove in her beat up little Jeep, pulling a U-Haul trailer full of our stuff down the US-441 into Gatlinburg. Now, Forks, where I was born and raised until I was five, was no bigger than a hole in the wall but this town was more than twice its size and still felt tiny. "Look at the scenery, Bells. Have you ever seen mountains like that?"

"Yeah Mom, when we lived in Vegas for two years. Remember… it was in a valley surrounded by mountains?"

"It's not the same, Bella. These ones are green with trees and shit."

"Yeah and in Vegas they were just brown like shit."

"Watch your mouth," she chastised me with a frown on her face and I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up inside me.

"Don't you think it's odd that you swear and then tell me to watch my mouth? So, it's okay if you do it, but not if I do?"

"Do as I say, not as I do and all that crap. After all, I am your mother, Bella."

"Barely," I mumbled under my breath as I turned back towards the passenger window and curled up against the door, staring at the lush green scenery pass us by and turn into the more residential part of the town.

When the car pulled to a stop at an intersection, my mother patted my arm and pointed out the window. "The town can't be all that bad if it's got a Hard Rock Café, Bella."

"You said that in Vegas!"

"Yeah well, you live and you learn, right?"

I snorted with derision, as my mother turned right down the highway and we drove past more tourist traps and wedding chapels before finding a small side street and turning down it and then several others until she pulled up in front of a small two story apartment building with pink scalloped awnings and yellowed grass.

"Welcome home," Renee called out with anxious enthusiasm as she pulled into the narrow driveway and hopped out of the car, heading into the rental office. I looked around tentatively and let out a sigh of disappointment. This was not where I had expected we would be living. Renee kept insisting that things would be better here than Nashville and that getting out of such a big city would be good for us, but as I looked out at the shifty ass pool and broken down Plymouths that littered the parking lot, I realized that she was talking out of her ass, yet again.

Five minutes later, my mother walked back towards the car, a smile plastered on her face as she held out the keys to our new 'home'. "We're in 204 on the second floor," she beamed as I looked at her expression, an unsettling feeling building in the pit of my stomach.

She pulled the car around to the far side of the building, all the while chatting happily to me about how much of a 'find' our new place was. She gushed about the large bedrooms, fireplace, and the modern kitchen before she rambled on about how the place was completely furnished and decorated, so we would feel right at home. The moment I walked in, I felt like I had been transported back in time. If I didn't know my mother's erratic ways, I would have looked around for Ashton Kutcher assuming I was being punked.

We now lived in the rental condo where every hideously ugly Laura Ashley fabric went to die.

There was floral print everywhere, and by everywhere, I meant each spot of fabric or wall was covered in flowers… on purpose. On the windows hung white and maroon curtains that were too short and didn't reach the floor and they were covered in, you betcha, a hideous floral pattern. The couch was blue and white striped, with roses on it. The bedspreads, wallpaper, shower curtains, chairs and even every single framed print on the wall had some sort of disturbing floral print. I was in hell.

"Isn't it cozy, Bells?" my mother questioned as she opened up the cupboards in the kitchen as though she expected to find something there.

"Cozy? Yeah… sure," I replied hastily. "I'm gonna go get my stuff from the car." I pulled my iPod out of my pocket, it was a Christmas gift from my father, and quickly put on some music as I stepped down the stairs to our old Jeep. When I opened the door to the Jeep, I immediately began pulling my bags out of the backseat, wishing like crazy that the afternoon would pass quickly. Of course, in true Bella Swan style, it didn't. It dragged on as we tried our best to unload everything we had so that Renee could get the U-Haul back to the return locations before 6 so she wasn't charged extra.

Phil, the building manager, came over later in the afternoon to help us unload some of the larger things and as I stood up against the wrought iron railing on the second floor, I couldn't help but notice how shamelessly my mother was flirting with him. Sure, he looked alright, but he seemed way too young for my mother. After watching Renee flip her hair over her shoulder more than five times, I let out a resigned sigh and headed inside, determined to at least change the sheets on my bed before I passed out for the night. Of course, the gods were against me.

"Hey Bella, honey," my mother called into the apartment less than 10 minutes later as I finally lifted the box with my bedding onto my bed. I heard her footsteps as she practically sprinted into my room with a huge smile across her face. "Phil offered to take us out to TGI Friday's for dinner. You know, sort of a welcome to Gatlinburg thing. Whattya say?"

I say no, because all that guys wants to do is get into your pants, I thought to myself as Renee drummed her fingernails against my doorframe anxiously. Fuck, this meant she actually might like the guy, and this was going to be a problem for me.

I loved my mother, I truly did, even though she always acted more like my best friend than a parent, and it was because of this I couldn't deny her anything. I couldn't tell her no each time she asked me if I wanted to move again, and I couldn't tell her that Charlie had asked me repeatedly to move in with him because he knew I wanted some sense of normalcy in my life. And it was now, as I watched her excited face that I knew I wouldn't say no.

"Sounds perfect. You know I love their potato skins," I said through clenched teeth as Renee jumped excitedly and wrapped her arms around me tightly.

"Thanks so much, Bella," she enthused as she kissed the top of my head. "I know we are going to love it here. I can just feel it."

Three days later, Renee came home from her first day of practice for her new show entitled 'Dreamland Drive-In' and looked at me with interest as I sat on the couch, eating from a bag of Doritos and watching General Hospital on the TV in the living room. "Bella, why don't you get a job?" I literally choked on my chips as she sat down beside me and let out a sigh.

"A what? Why would I do that?"

"Why not?"

"Because it's the summer… can't I just have the summer to get used to this place and then I promise in the fall I'll go get a job at the Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Shoney's or one of those touristy museums." I had to admit it; I was mortified at the prospect of getting a job. Sure, I was 16 and I was supposed to be learning responsibility and all that jazz, but being the new kid in town was hard enough without having to deal with a job on top of the pressure.

I wasn't looking forward to stepping inside the doors of Gatlinburg – Pittman High School to start my junior year as the unknown kid, but I wanted time to adjust. Sure, after moving so much over the past 11 years, I had sort of become accustomed to change, but it didn't mean I had to like it, and the older I got, the worse it was. Kids always wanted to be your friend when you were six, not so much when you were 16.

"Okay, so how about we make a deal?"

"Uh oh… this can't be good."

"Phil needs some help in the office this summer," she said simply, talking about him like he was an old friend. After our first dinner on Sunday night, Phil had come over to see my mother a few times and his had been the only calls we had received, other that my dad of course. Phil was clearly smitten with my mother, and even though he was only 26, and a whole eight years younger than her, I tried not to pass judgment because he made Renee smile. Who was I to deny her that?

"Oh come on, I don't want to spend the summer filing papers for your new boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend," she replied with a small grin as I rolled my eyes. I knew that look. I had seen it before with Liam, the Scottish drummer in Las Vegas, and Garrett, the guy who sang on the General Jackson Showboat with her in Nashville. Oh, and there had been Randall, the guy in Florida who dressed up like Goofy all day and had my mother convinced she would be bigger than Celine Dion. All these guys talked a good game but none of them had any sort of potential. They all wanted to control my mother and if there was one thing I was sure of, it was that no one could convince Renee of anything. If they could, we probably would still be in Forks with my dad, because lord knows he tried hard enough to keep her and she just wouldn't listen to reason.

"Whatever you say," I replied as the commercial ended and my soap opera started back up, catching my attention. Renee wouldn't let the issue rest though because she grabbed the remote and shut off the TV, earning a groan of annoyance from me.

"Listen Bella, it's only a few hours a week for ten bucks an hour. You could use the spending money and I think it would be good for you to get out of the apartment once in a while."

"I've been out," I replied tentatively as I searched my memory of the past few days for a moment when I wasn't glued to the piece of shit couch that was certain was formerly owned by Rachel Ashwell. Yes, I knew who that was because I had watched HGTV for over six hours the day before.

"You went to dinner with me and Phil. That doesn't mean you went out, Bells."

"Yes it does. I was physically out of the apartment for more than an hour. For all intents and purposes, that is out."

"Oh my god, you are so damned stubborn," Renee declared as she stood up and crossed her arms over her chest, attempting to break me. "I refuse to argue with you about this Bella. You need to get out of the apartment."

"Fine, I'll go do groceries tomorrow. Is that out enough for you?"

"It's a start, but you should seriously consider the job with Phil." I rolled my eyes and turned my soap opera back on the TV as Renee went into the kitchen and pulled a beer from the fridge. "Speaking of Phil, he's coming over tonight with pizza for dinner, so be on your best behavior." I saluted my mother and went back to eating my chips and watching my show.

Dinner was nothing short of boring, with Phil chatting on and on about his love of baseball, and my mother hanging off of every single word. When dinner was over I excused myself to go back to my room, but Phil stopped me and politely reminded me about the job, insisting he could use the help. My mother looked at me pleadingly as I finally gave up and agreed to give it a go, on a trial basis. They were both overjoyed and it was a mere hour later, as I sat in my room listening to my iPod and reading 'Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas', when I heard the tell tale sound of her headboard against the wall. Not her boyfriend, my ass!

Two weeks into my job I realized that it wasn't nearly as boring as I thought it would be. Sure, for the first few days Phil had me cleaning up his filing system, which was a complete and utter disaster. After I had everything alphabetized and the office was working like a well oiled machine, Phil began giving me odd jobs to do around town and let me use his car, since Mom needed the Jeep to run to Pigeon Forge every day. He was excited because I was getting out of the apartment building, thus making Renee over the moon. It was win-win for Phil, who had solidly gotten the boyfriend job two days after pizza night and their marathon sexcapades, which kept me up most of the night.

One of my many new jobs was to hit the local newspaper and pay the bill for the listings Phil put in advertising the rentals. It sounded boring as fuck, but the office was clear on the other side of town, not far from the high school I would be attending, so I liked to drive over and check everything out. This was when I saw him.

He was playing football with a few friends on the field behind the school. Shirts versus skins, and he was definitely the quarterback for the skins. I had no idea who the hell he was, or if he was even in high school, but he was certainly nice to look at.

After I saw him the first time, I happened to drive by again two days later and he was there with just one other guy throwing the ball around. I didn't stay too long, thinking I had aroused some suspicion since the guys paused at one point and looked over towards Phil's car. I tried not to worry about it, but on this particular Wednesday, I was a bit saddened to see he wasn't there.

Instead of leaving because there was nothing pretty to look at, I sat back in the car and listened to some music for a few minutes, enjoying being away from Phil's tiny office at the apartment building. As I listened to the final strains of Billy Joel on the easy listening station that Phil had programmed in his car, I was startled by the loud sound of someone banging on the roof of the car. I forced open my eyes and they grew wide as I saw the object of my lust standing beside the car, leaning in the window.

"Back again huh?" he asked with a grin on his face as he knelt down and rested his arms on the open window, folding them carefully as he stared me down. "Don't think we hadn't noticed."

"Oh… uh… I'm not coming here to… I mean, I come here just to relax and get away from work. I'm not like stalking you guys or anything," I stammered as he looked at me curiously through his lashes and I felt my stomach twist uncomfortably. He was even more attractive up close than he had been at a distance. He had short curly hair in dark brown that made his matching eyes stand out brightly. His shoulders were broad and his chest looked rock hard and delectable under the tight dark blue t-shirt he was wearing.

"That's a shame… about the stalking thing. The guys and I thought you were really cute." I choked on air, shocked as hell that he had noticed me, and felt like a complete fucking idiot. "You don't go here do you?"

"I start in the fall. I just moved here."

"From where?"

"Nashville."

"Ah, a big city girl huh?" he asked as he titled his head to the side, which awarded me a glimpse of a tattoo under his shirt. I had noticed it before when I stared shamelessly at him as he played, but seeing it up close made it all the more appealing.

"In theory, sure. I've lived in Orlando, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Branson and Louisville. My mother is a bit of a free spirit."

"Then why the hell are you here in Gatlinburg? Certainly doesn't seem like a logical step after Nashville."

"My mother sings in a show up at Dollywood."

"No shit."

"Yup," I said simply as I looked down at my hands, wondering why the hell he was so curious about me and why the hell I was so upfront with him. I wasn't anything special, but he was looking at me like I was a shiny new toy or something. It would have been disconcerting if he didn't have the sweetest dimples and a boyishly handsome face. "So uh… I'm assuming you go to school here?"

"Yeah, I'm Emmett McCarty, by the way." He offered his hand through the open window and I took it casually as he shook it with a lot more force than I expected.

"Bella Swan."

"Well Swan, it was nice to finally meet you. Next time you come around to stalk, you should get out of the car and sit on the bleachers or something," he said with a wink as several of his friends showed up on the field and he got up and walked away, turning around halfway to the field to glance at the car again and give a wave. I fought back the urge to puke from anxiety as I started up Phil's car and headed back to the office to deal with the mundane bullshit I faced on a daily basis.

For the next few weeks, I drove over to the high school randomly while on the errands Phil would send me on to either get his lunch or pick up a few things for the office. It was never anything exciting, but one day I found the nerve to get out of the car and watch as the guys played a game of scrimmage and practiced for the upcoming seasons. Over my short conversations with Emmett I discovered he was sort of the big man at the school. He was a junior, just like me, and was going to be the starting quarterback in the fall. His friends, Paul and Seth, were friendly, but not in the same way that Emmett was. I was at ease being around him and we fell into an easy rapport.

That was until we were walking back to Phil's car together one day and Emmett held his hand against the door, preventing me from opening it. "So um… I was wondering if you wanted to go out tomorrow night?"

"Uh… what?" I questioned dumbly as Emmett grinned, his dimples coming out in full force and making it hard for me to think.

"You know… go out on a date? You've done that before right? It usually involves dinner and a movie."

"Don't be such an idiot. I understand the logistics of a date, but no… I've never gone on one."

"A girl as pretty as you… that's a shame. So what do you say? I don't got a lot of money but we could go to Calhoun's or something. Do you like ribs? I mean, everyone like ribs, right?"

"Yeah, I like ribs I guess. I don't eat them much since my mother is against eating any food with her hands. Like asparagus, which according to some of the chefs on the Food Network, is the only food you should eat with your hands, she won't do it. She even eats pizza with a knife and fork." Emmett looked at me with a confused expression on his face and I realized I was babbling about nothing in particular. Rather than make an even bigger ass out of myself and risk him taking back his offer, I decided to just nod my head like a moron.

"Is that a yes?"

"Yeah… it's a yes."

"Good. Now give me your address so I can pick you up tomorrow night." I reached into the car and grabbed my purse, fetching a pen and scrap of paper to write down my details on. Emmett said goodbye and ran back to join his friends on the field, but not before giving me a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll see you tomorrow."

When he wasn't looking I pressed my fingers to my lips and let out a sigh. Emmett McCarty had kissed me and I had a date with him. I fought with all my might not to squeal and do a little dance of enthusiasm, otherwise I would seem like a complete douche. Instead, I got into the car and drove back to work, smiling my way through the rest of my day.

My first date with Emmett was fun, although nerve wracking. I never told Renee that I had a date, because she skipped out for dinner with Phil before Emmett was due to pick me up. It was a bit of a relief she wasn't there though, because surely she would have flirted with him unabashedly and I would have spent the rest of the night completely mortified by her actions.

True to his word, Emmett took me to a Calhoun's and each person we passed looked at me in surprise as Emmett greeted everyone warmly. He knew almost everybody in the restaurant and when we sat down, only to be waited on by his cousin Charlotte, he let me know he was a lifer in Gatlinburg. His father worked on the assembly line of a company that built heavy duty trucks and his mother was a nurse at the local hospital. He was the oldest of five kids, and had four sisters, which surprised me. He gushed about his sisters, who ranged in age from 2 to 14, and how much he loved being a big brother. It was really sweet and genuine the way he cared for his family, and it made me feel uncomfortable because I floated around the country with my mother, who didn't have a care in the world. I had no siblings and no solid place to call home. Hell, I had no idea how long we would stay in Gatlinburg. Probably until Renee found something better and dragged me along with her.

Emmett never once made me feel different for being from out of town and not living in Gatlinburg for long. He was sweet and kind, always asking me more about myself or cracking jokes when things got awkward. It was a great first date and before I knew it, he was taking me home for the night and kissing me outside my apartment door before leaving me a little breathless and wanting more. I crawled into bed that night with a huge smile on my face and I was actually looking forward to the next day and hopefully seeing him again.

As the summer progressed, Emmett and I got infinitely closer. After our fourth date I finally decided to let him meet my mother. Well, decided and forced to, same difference. Just as Emmett arrived to pick me up for a date, Renee was about to run out for yet another date with Phil, and found Emmett standing at the door with his fist raised to knock. One second later and he would have literally hit my mother in the face.

"Oh... well... what do we have here?" Renee questioned as she looked over her shoulder to find me standing in the living room fiddling with the hem of my shirt. Thanks to the money I had earned working in Phil's office, I had managed to head to a few stores in town to get some new, more girly, clothes. Renee hadn't seen any of them yet and her eyes rose in surprise as she saw me standing there in a blood red halter top and tight jeans. "Maybe I should be asking my daughter that."

"Good Evening Mrs. Swan, I'm here to pick up Bella for dinner." Emmett looked so cute with his short-sleeved button down shirt hanging loose over his cargo shorts, and a nervous smile plastered on his face. He reached out his hand and Renee proceeded to pull him into our small apartment with unbelievable force as she eyed him up from head to toe. When she was done, she gave me a thumbs up and I rolled my eyes in humiliation.

"Mrs. Swan is my former mother-in-law; please ... just call me Renee."

"Uh... alright, Renee," Emmett replied anxiously as I moved to stand beside him and he immediately draped his arm over my shoulder, just like he had for the past few weeks when we would see each other. Renee grinned happily as she looked at the two of us, clearly together. "Oh um... I'm Emmett McCarty. Bella's boyfriend."

And there it was... the official title.

Something I had thought about every day since our first date. We hadn't discussed titles, but things had just sort of developed to the point that I thought of Emmett as my boyfriend, but I wasn't sure how he saw me. However, as he spoke the words, I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face. I was most certainly blushing like crazy too!

"Well, isn't this a welcome surprise. Bella, you never mentioned anything," my mother said succinctly as I ground my teeth in frustration.

"Perhaps if I saw you more than once a week I would have had time to tell you, Mom." I knew I was being a little bitter, but ever since we had moved out of Nashville I rarely saw Renee. Sure, she was always busy back in Nashville, but it was different here. She seemed really happy with Phil and he was good for her and had a level head on his shoulders, even if he was a lot younger than her. "Plus, this thing with Emmett and I has only been going on for a few weeks."

"Uh... we have plans, so we have to get going," Emmett said as he tried to usher me from the apartment but my mother shooed him away and made me stay for a moment as Emmett told me he would be in the Jeep waiting for me.

"I know we haven't had time to have the... _talk_, but I trust you are being safe?"

"Oh my god... Mom! We've only kissed; you don't need to be worried. Plus, you don't need to have the talk with me. Everything I need to know I learned in health class."

"Well, if you do... you know... please be safe, alright? I should get you to a doctor and get you on the pill or something, maybe one of those implants. Boys are wired all differently, Bells. Emmett is really adorable, with those cute dimples and all. If I was in your shoes I wouldn't be able to resist him. However, I don't want you to do something you aren't ready for."

"Okay, shut it. I'm not having sex with Emmett, alright? He's very cute and sweet and I like kissing him, but right now, that's as far as its going." I stormed out of the apartment with a smug grin on my face, certain that my mother was about to burst with curiosity over my first real boyfriend.

Of course, when I got home that night, after Emmett and I went to dinner and a movie, I couldn't bring myself to tell her how we had made out like crazy in his Jeep at a park just outside of town and had reached second base. She would have been smug as hell then and danced around the apartment singing about how she was right. I couldn't handle that shit.

As July turned into August, Emmett and I continued seeing each other almost every day. I began working less for Phil in the office since I had organized almost everything there but Emmett began to have football practice every other day, in preparation for the upcoming school year, so when I didn't have to work, I went to watch him. I wasn't alone in the stands either. Some of the other girls, both seniors and juniors, came out to watch their friends or boyfriends as they practiced. I recognized a few of them from the parties Emmett had taken me to over the summer, but I couldn't remember their names.

I sat on the cool metal and watched Emmett intensely as I pretended to read a book. When practice was over, Emmett would always run over to me and kiss me gently before begging me to come out with him afterwards. One particular day, after seeing him throw several successful passes, I invited him back to my apartment, knowing full well Renee would be at work for a few more hours. Emmett jumped at the chance and I drove home filled with anxiety, knowing full well I wanted to go further with him. Emmett showered in the change room before heading over in his Jeep. It was just twenty minutes, but my stomach was unsettled the whole time I was apart from him. Of course the moment I opened the door to let him in, my anxiety was replaced with desire.

"Hey," he said with a grin as I grabbed his hand and pulled him inside and over to the hideous floral couch. "Did you like watching practice today?"

"Uh huh," I nodded as I straddled him and began kissing his lips firmly, biting down on his bottom lip as I felt his tongue skim against my upper one. Emmett's hands threaded through my hair as he pulled me closer and I moved my hips against him, spurred on by the hard on that was clear as day in his pants. When we broke away for air, Emmett looked shocked.

"Wow... umm... that was unexpected." I yanked my shirt off over my head and Emmett's eyes grew even wider. Sure, I wasn't overly huge in the boob department, but what I did have was decent, and Emmett certainly hadn't complained before, though we had done mainly over the clothes touching before. "So is that."

"I want you to touch me," I said slowly, emphasizing my point as I ground myself against him again and he began choking. I immediately began to panic and was about to climb off his lap and get him some water, when Emmett grasped my hips and pressed me down against his cock again, shaking his head. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just surprised is all. Are you sure?"

"God yes. You looked so hot out there today and well... I think we're ready," I replied as I grabbed the hem of his cotton t-shirt and slowly pulled it over his head. I moaned as I saw the definition of his muscles and couldn't help myself as I leaned in and kissed him passionately again. Emmett suddenly turned into a man possessed as he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me down onto the couch. I was lying on my back with him hovering above me as we kissed, our lips constantly connected. I could feel his hands on my jean shorts, trying like hell to unbutton them so he had access to me.

I tilted my head and kissed Emmett's neck, feeling his pulse quicken beneath my lips, as Emmett began to tug my shorts from me. I kicked them away with my feet and closed my eyes, unable to stop the moan that fell from my lips as Emmett began to stroke me through my panties. "Oh god."

"You feel so good, baby," Emmett whispered as he kissed me again, his tongue plunging into my mouth as his fingers pulled my panties to the side. Suddenly his rough thick fingers found my slickness and he growled as he touched me. It felt so fucking good. "You are so wet, Bella."

"You make me like this," I said simply, feeling a bit embarrassed as Emmett traced his index finger around my clit before slipping his thumb inside me. I groaned loudly, having never had anything other than my own fingers inside me, and Emmett suddenly stilled and pulled his fingers from me.

"You're a virgin." I bit down on my bottom lip and nodded as Emmett tried to move back from me, but I wouldn't allow it. I grabbed his hair and pulled him down to kiss me again, hard and rough.

"I want it with you, Emmett," I whispered in his ear as I grabbed his hand and guided it back between my legs. "Touch me, Em." His resolve faded away as he eased a finger back inside me, my body responding immediately to his touch as he began to kiss my neck and collarbone. I pulled the cups of my bra down and Emmett looked at me nervously as I just nodded my head. I wanted more. Hell, I couldn't get enough of him. Sure, we had kissed and fumbled around in his Jeep and on his couch in the basement while his family was out, but it was nothing like this. This was just... so fucking good.

Emmett's fingers fumbled slightly as he teased and tortured me, but I didn't care. I was quickly falling in love with him and every moment we spent together was perfection to me. This was no different, and when I came undone around his fingers, his mouth clamped against mine as I moaned and shuddered my way through my first, non self induced orgasm, I couldn't help the smile that formed on my flushed face.

"That was just... you are so..." Emmett couldn't manage to string together two words as I leaned up to kiss him and with my free hand, I began to feel his hardness through his shorts. I undid the buttons and was about to pull down the zipper, so I could reach my hand in and feel him when we both heard my mother's voice outside the door. She was talking to someone, on the phone maybe, and I grabbed my clothes and dashed into my room as Emmett sat down on the couch and clutched his hands over his cock.

I pulled my shorts back on and was slipping my t-shirt on over my head as the front door opened and I heard my mother gasp. "Oh, Emmett... I wasn't expecting to find you here."

"Hi Mrs... um... Renee. Yeah, Bella and I came home after my football practice to watch a movie."

"The TV isn't on."

"Uh, she's changing. We just got here."

When I came out of the room, my cheeks red and my hair still all over the place, my mother quirked her eye brow at me knowingly. "If you were supposed to be changing, Bella, you did a bad job. Those are the same clothes you were wearing when I left this morning." I grumbled uneasily and went to sit beside Emmett, trying to make him feel less anxious because the look on his face was one of a small child who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar. That thought made me giggle and then I looked at my mother with curiosity.

"Um... what are you doing home so early?"

"I had an audition, so my understudy filled in for me today."

"An audition for what?" I asked, my voice raised an octave in concern. I was stunned Renee's revelation. Every other time she mentioned having an audition it usually resulted in us moving somewhere new within the month. I didn't like that idea whatsoever. I had finally managed to fit in somewhere and be happy with a boyfriend who I was totally falling for and I was certain that Renee was about to ruin it for me. I started to pout and Em took my hand in his, entwining our fingers as I glared at my mother.

"You know how superstitious I get Bella. I can't tell you. If it does happen, I promise it will be great for us! Really, really great." Renee left the room and Emmett wrapped his arm over my shoulder supportively, knowing full well I was anxious that we would be moving again.

"Come on... let's go to my house for dinner. Ma is making pot roast and you know how she loves to tease you about needing more meat on your bones." I smiled reluctantly, remembering when I met Mrs. McCarty a few weeks ago and how welcoming she and the whole family had been. I nodded my head and called out to my mother that we were leaving and not to wait up. I spent the rest of the night curled up in Emmett's arms on the couch in his families' basement, trying to hide the fact that inside I was petrified of being forced to leave him.

Two weeks later Renee began to act odd. She was talking on her phone much more than usual, and often in hushed voices. Whenever Emmett would come over to take me out she gave me remorseful glances and sad smiles, but she never said anything. Not until a week before school was about to start and she made me stay at the apartment, insisting we were having a family dinner. I immediately grew more agitated when Phil came to join us for dinner. Something was up and I began to feel unwell the moment my mother sat in her usual seat at our small dining room table.

"So Bells... remember me telling you about that audition I went on?" she questioned casually as I speared a piece of broccoli with my fork and nodded indifferently. "Well, I got the job."

"That's great baby," Phil gushed as he leaned over and kissed my mother's cheek. Inside, I was fuming. "Did you meet Dolly yet? When are we leaving?"

"No, not yet. I'll be meeting her in a few days though. Apparently, she was in the audience for my audition and was blown away. I sang her song 'Little Sparrow' and I guess I did something right, because I got the job."

"What job? You're not being very specific, Mom, except for saying you have a job having to do with Dolly Parton, which sounds a lot like what you've been doing all summer." I may have snapped a bit at her, but when she looked back at me, I could tell she was pretty upset. At that moment, I couldn't find it in me to care. If this job meant we weren't staying in Gatlinburg, then I was pissed.

"I'm gonna be singing backup for Dolly on her next tour. It starts at in the middle of September, in Pigeon Forge."

"Isn't that wonderful, Bella?" Phil questioned as I held back my urge to throw up my dinner. Did she say she was going on tour? This meant no home, living in a van or a bus, and how the hell was I supposed to study? Was I expected to just drop out of school while Renee lived her life the way she wanted to? And what the hell did Phil mean by 'we'. Surely my mother's boy toy wasn't coming with us, right?

I looked over at my mother, who was still babbling on about something, but all I could hear was Emmett's voice in my ear telling me that everything would be okay. Things were far from okay.

"Did you hear me Bells?"

"Huh?" I asked, dumbfounded as I felt my mother's hand on my shoulder, trying to soothe me.

"I said, since I'd be on the road I thought it would be great if you headed back to Forks to live with your Dad. Now, I already spoke to him and he's all excited about you coming to stay with him. He's even enrolled you in Forks High School and gotten some new things for your old bedroom." My mouth fell open in complete surprise, never once expecting that Renee would basically pass me off to my father, who I hadn't seen in almost a year.

I couldn't think straight and had no appetite as I pushed my plate back on the table and stood up, reaching for the keys to my mother's car that were on the kitchen counter as I headed out of the apartment. She was yelling at me not to do anything rash, but I wasn't thinking. All I wanted to do was see Emmett and have him reassure me that things were going to be alright, even if they weren't.

When I got to his house, his mother immediately let me in and called out for Em, since she could tell I was upset. Rather than bring me into the house, Emmett took the keys from me and we went for a drive, as he tried to calm me down. I couldn't stop the tears that were flowing down my face as my mind went into overdrive wondering why this was happening to me. Had I done something that was so wrong that I was now being punished for it? I had done everything Renee had asked of me over the years, including never once complaining every time we moved, but now I found something I wanted to stay for, and I couldn't.

"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Emmett asked as we pulled into the parking lot of a secluded park outside of town. We had been here once before to make out, but that had been weeks ago, shortly after we started dating.

"No, I just want to be with you." I leaned over and began kissing Emmett earnestly, my lips molding to his effortlessly as his strong hands came up and gripped my shoulders, pushing me away.

"Bella, we're supposed to be in this together, right?" I nodded sadly as he reached up and brushed some tears from my cheek before cupping it gently in his hands. "Then tell me what's going on."

"My mom got a new job as a backup singer for Dolly Parton, but it means she's going to be on tour." Emmett's easygoing smile evaporated as he started to realize what was happening. "Since I can't stay here by myself, she is shipping me off to Washington to be with my dad."

"Washington State? No... you can't go there. I'll talk to my mom and she'll let you stay with us. She loves you, and lord knows she always wanted another kid," Emmett said sweetly as I kissed his lips and pulled back remorsefully.

"Baby, there's no way your mom will let me stay with you. Where would I sleep?"

"My room."

"As ideal as that sounds to us, my parents would never let me stay," I replied as the tears began to fall again and Emmett reached across the seat and pulled me against him. His fingers stroked my hair softly as I felt his lips against my temple and when I turned to face him, his eyes were dark and desperate, mirroring exactly how I felt. I reached up and grasped the side of his face, bringing his mouth down to mine as we kissed frantically. Our hands were reaching every which way as we twisted our bodies within the car so that we were somewhat more comfortable with me straddling Em's lap, but it wasn't enough for me. "Back seat."

Em and I climbed out of the car, the night air was hot and stagnant, as a cool breeze blew across the park. I got into the car first, lying across the back seat, eager for him to join me. With the door closed and Em on his knees in front of me, I didn't hesitate to pull off my shirt and bra, as I then extended my hands forward to yank on the hem of his shirt, pulling him down to me as I kissed the corner of his mouth.

"Be with me," I utterly nervously as Emmett kissed my neck gently and then leaned back onto his heels, removing his shirt. "Make me yours." Even as the words tumbled from my mouth I was sure Emmett would deny me. He was much too sweet and caring to let my first time be in the back of a car, but if we didn't jump at the chance, we would never have it again. I was sure of that.

I breathed a sigh of relief when Emmett didn't deny me. In fact, he literally dug right in, yanking my shorts and panties from me as quickly as he could before he began kissing every inch of my skin he could reach. His fingers found me wet and desperate for him as he flicked at my clit and eased one inside of me, teasing and prepping me for what was to come. My breathless pants filled the car as I tried to palm Em through his shorts, and found he was already hard as a rock. He paused for a moment; two fingers buried inside me, as he undid his shorts and pulled them down mid thigh, his cock now free and erect.

I tentatively reached my hand forward, having never touched him before, and ran my finger over the already slick tip before I wrapped my hand around him and began to stroke as best as I could while he pleasured me with his fingers. Emmett groaned and grunted often, proving that I was doing something right, but it also made him work his fingers harder and faster inside me. With my free hand I stroked my clit, knowing full well what I liked, and Emmett couldn't take his eyes off of me as I came yelling his name in the back of the car.

I watched in silent awe as Emmett grabbed a condom from his wallet and slipped it on before hovering over me, his cock in position. "I got the condoms last week after the whole thing with..." I nodded, understanding that he didn't want me to think he had been carrying them under the assumption he did this often. I leaned my head up and kissed his chin as he used one hand to spread me open wider and slowly began to push inside me. "You're my first too, Bella. I love you," he said quietly as he buried his face into my hair and we both groaned out loud at the intensity of our connection.

"Oh god Em, I love you too," I replied as I tried to ignore the slightly painful ache in my body and focus on the sensation in my heart which was completely overflowing with love for this wonderful boy.

Emmett was nothing less than gentle and sweet as he moved inside me, his mouth on mine, or kissing some part of me the entire time. The music on the radio changed as Emmett began whispering in my ear everything I was thinking in my own head. I was so glad to have found and met him. He had made my summer memorable and I was lucky to have him in my life. He constantly told me how much he loved me, and how he had loved me from the first moment he saw me as I came undone around him, his own grunts of release following moments later.

Emmett remained inside me, his arms wrapped tight around me as he turned us so I was lying on his chest. He kissed the top of my head as the tears began to fall as the song continued on the radio and I knew this was the only time I would ever make love to him. My first love.

_And now our bodies are oh so close and tight  
it never felt so good, it never felt so right  
and we're glowing like the metal on the edge of a knife  
C'mon! Hold on tight!  
C'mon! Hold on tight!_

_Though it's cold and lonely in the deep dark night  
I can see paradise by the dashboard light_

Less than seventy two hours later I was on a plane bound for Washington. I flew into Seattle and had a connecting flight to a small airport just outside of Forks, in the town of Port Angeles. Charlie was supposed to pick me up in his police cruiser from the airport and then we were to head home... well to my old childhood house. I never really had anywhere I truly felt I could call home.

Renee had flown off the handle when I got home close to midnight with Emmett at my side the night she announced I was moving. She immediately made Phil drive him home before she proceeded to yell at me about being irresponsible for driving away for over five hours without my cell phone. She insisted that anything could have happened to me while I was gone, that she had no way to contact me, and that she had been really worried about me. Of course I didn't respond the way I wish I could have… by telling her if she really cared she wouldn't make me move. Instead, I let her berate me, not really listening to her as she droned on and on about how much my life would change when I got to Forks under the watchful eye of my father. She grounded me for the next two days and forced me to pack all my belongings to go to Charlie's place without ever giving me a chance to see Emmett.

I managed to see Em one last time before I left, at the Knoxville airport, where I was leaving from. He had emailed me dozens of times in the two days after we had sex and I knew my mother wouldn't let me see him, so the airport was our best bet. Renee left me at check in, with Phil by her side, and I waited for Em to show up. He did, with a cute stuffed teddy bear wearing a University of Tennessee t-shirt, looking so fucking depressed. We hugged and kissed and said 'I'll see you later' instead of goodbye, even though I felt like a fraud for saying it.

I knew I probably wouldn't be back to Tennessee, but who knows where we would both end up for college. Emmett wanted to go to the University of Tennessee, and they were apparently already scouting him for the football team, but I couldn't see myself in Tennessee for college. I wanted something drastically different, New York City perhaps? As we shared a final kiss and we both confessed our love, I couldn't help the feeling in the pit of my stomach that this would be the last time I saw him. I waved sadly at him as I started to go through security and once I was done, I ran to a bathroom stall and cried my eyes out for having just lost the best thing that ever happened to me.

Things were quiet when Charlie picked me up from the airport. He filled me in on little details, like how I was registered to start school in a few days and that he had gotten internet for the house so I could keep in contact with my mother. However, she was the last person I felt the urge to talk to. She had basically shipped me off because she wanted to traipse around the country with Phil and Dolly Parton. I clearly took a backseat to her career and love life, so she could deal with my cold shoulder for as long as I deemed fit.

Things at Charlie's house hadn't changed since the last time I visited. The plain white house had a freshly mowed lawn, but the shutters still needed a fresh coat of paint and he still had his horrible beast of a boat in the driveway. Not long after I put my bags in the house, a huge rusty red truck pulled into the driveway and I went outside to try and keep up appearances for Charlie's sake. I was floored when he announced the truck was a homecoming gift of sorts, figuring I didn't want to be driving around town with him in the cruiser all the time. Jake, who had rebuilt the engine, and his dad Billy stayed over for dinner that night and I was ashamed to admit I had a good time.

When I finally went to my bedroom that night, I chatted online with Emmett for a bit and told him about the truck and how things were going since I arrived in Forks. Em surprised me when he told me he saw Renee in town and she apologized to him for keeping us apart during my last before she then thanked him for giving me such a memorable summer. I groaned and Em agreed to never mention if he ran into her again. Not that I expected it to happen much, since she was soon going to be touring North America.

School started off boring as hell, not that I expected any differently. I had all advanced classes and some of the books we were reading in English I had already read, but I wasn't going to mention that to my teachers. I made a few friends throughout the first day, including a lovely girl named Angela who invited me to join the school paper for an extracurricular activity, reminding me how good it would look on my transcript for college. I was hesitant at first, but figured Charlie would be pleased if I did something in my free time other than sulk around in a miserable mood like I had my first few days in town.

It was as I walked into my last class of the day when things began to drastically change for me. I was seated beside a rather quiet boy in Biology and we worked on our project in relative silence, sharing a textbook since they were short and I was the new girl. I was ashamed to admit just how cute he was, with his messy reddish brown hair and deep green eyes. His whole attitude reminded me of Emmett, gentle and warmhearted, and before long we were sitting together during lunch, chatting happily with our group of friends and then a month into the school year, completely out of the blue, he asked me out.

I said no.

When I got home from school that night in early October, I immediately logged onto the computer and found Emmett on chat. I wanted to say yes to Edward's offer, and try to make something out of my junior year, but my connection to Emmett held me back. We were hours away from each other, and our contact was few and far between these days thanks to our school work and his relentless football schedule. I couldn't help but think it was unfair for either of us, so I called him up on the phone and told him this and he seemed... relieved.

"I've actually wanted to talk to you about that, Bells."

"Have you been with…" I stammered, trying to ask him if he had another girlfriend already, but I couldn't get the words out.

"No, baby. I haven't been with anyone. I haven't had the time nor have I wanted anyone but you." I blushed slightly, knowing that Emmett couldn't see it, but it had the desired effect. "But Homecoming is next week and I asked this girl Rosalie to the dance. I figured you wouldn't be mad about that, right?"

"Of course not," I said sadly as I realized that even though this was what I wanted, I still wanted him in my life. "You'll just… we'll still be friends right?"

"It's just a date, Bella. Nothing might happen with her, but yeah… I'll always be your friend."

"So, now we're just gonna do the friends thing? It seems so weird to me."

"Unless you want to move back to Tennessee?"

"Want and can are two different things. Believe me, I wish I was there, but I can't do it. I think things might be good here and maybe I can stay for a little bit, you know? No more of that moving around shit."

"I know baby, and I'm really happy for you. I just miss you."

"I miss you too, Em."

We finished our conversation just as Charlie pulled into the driveway, and I spent the night hanging out in the living room with him as I worked on my homework and we ate Chinese. I didn't even try to hide the smile on my face from the normalcy that was my new life with my dad. I slept restlessly that night but when I reached school the next morning, the first person I went looking for was Edward. I found him outside his locker talking casually with his friend Ben.

"Uh… can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked as Ben just nodded his head with a smile and walked away. Edward leaned against his locker as I gathered up my nerves and smiled anxiously at him. "Hypothetically, is there any chance you'd be willing to ask me out again? I had a bad day yesterday and was in a bit of a fog, but I am now seeing the light."


End file.
